| Method, apparatus and computer program product for synchronizing separate compressed video and text streams to provide closed captioning and instant messaging integration with video conferencing -> Monitor Keywords |
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Method, apparatus and computer program product for synchronizing separate compressed video and text streams to provide closed captioning and instant messaging integration with video conferencingMethod, apparatus and computer program product for synchronizing separate compressed video and text streams to provide closed captioning and instant messaging integration with video conferencing description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070064095, Method, apparatus and computer program product for synchronizing separate compressed video and text streams to provide closed captioning and instant messaging integration with video conferencing. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to the data processing field, and more particularly, relates to a method, apparatus and computer program product for synchronizing separate compressed video and text streams to provide lightweight closed captioning and instant messaging integration with video conferencing. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART [0002] Closed captioning was originally designed to make television and movies accessible to deaf people. However, anyone who has been into a bar or restaurant with several TVs have also seen closed captioning replace audio for people with perfectly normal hearing. Closed captioning, like subtitles, can also be used to provide low cost multi-lingual support for movies and videos. [0003] It is not unusual for business people to be occupied with several things at once. Perhaps someone would want to be on a conference call and monitor a video conference at the same time. In this case it would be beneficial to provide closed captioning for video conferences. Unfortunately, current closed captioning methods, used most often for television broadcasting, rely on complex encoders that encode the text data into the video signal. [0004] Various arrangements are known in the art for processing digital video. For example, a MPEG-2 Standard is defined by the Moving Picture Experts Group (ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11). The standard supports constant and/or variable rate encoding that allows for variable bandwidth and quality of video streams. It also defines a system layer that integrates multiple media sources into a single data stream with integrated time stamps. The Systems layer supports the sending of information encoded using a variety of video and audio data compression techniques such as MPEG1 or MPEG-2 video or audio. In the MPEG-2 standard, each video frame (or field) is classified as an I, P or B frame. An I-frame is intra-frame coded using no reference frames. While P-frames and B-frames are inter-frame predictively coded using some reference frames. [0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art closed captioning arrangement that include a video appliance that encodes closed captions or text data into the video signal, such as a Vbrick MPEG video appliance manufactured by VBrick Systems, Inc., of Wallingford, Conn. The encoded video over IP with closed captioned text is sent over a TCP/IP network. The encoded video is decoded by a Vbrick MPEG decoder that provides display video and display closed captions. [0006] Other methods keep video and sound data separate, for example, DVD subtitles, but both rely on multiple precision, synchronized time sources, to synchronize the text and video signals when recording. [0007] Current offerings for closed captioned video conferencing rely on these technologies and are only offered by a small number of video conferencing service providers, such as, www.polycom.com. This cost and complexity discourages businesses from using closed captioning in most instances as these technologies were designed for TV and movies, rather than a video conferencing application. [0008] A need exists for an effective mechanism for synchronizing separate compressed video and text streams to provide lightweight closed captioning and instant messaging integration with video conferencing. A lightweight method for closed captioning is needed that is easy to use and inexpensive enough to include standard with video conferencing product or service could give the vendor a significant advantage in the market. A need exists for an effective mechanism to cheaply and easily enables customers to closed caption enable their video conferences for hearing impaired or multi-lingual support. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] Principal aspects of the present invention is to provide a method, apparatus and computer program product for synchronizing separate compressed video and text streams to provide closed captioning and instant messaging integration with video conferencing. Other important aspects of the present invention are to provide such method, apparatus and computer program product for synchronizing separate compressed video and text streams to provide closed captioning and instant messaging integration with video conferencing substantially without negative effect and that overcome many of the disadvantages of prior art arrangements. [0010] In brief, a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for synchronizing separate compressed video and text streams to provide closed captioning and instant messaging integration with video conferencing. A video encoder encodes a video stream and periodically generates a synchronization frame event. Each generated synchronization frame event has a unique ID. A text recording agent receives the periodically generated synchronization frame events, and generates text packets associating stored text with the synchronization frame event. A video decoder decodes the video stream, periodically generating the synchronization frame event having the unique ID. A text display agent receives the periodically generated synchronization frame events and associates stored text packets with the synchronization frame events. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] The present invention together with the above and other objects and advantages may best be understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, wherein: [0012] FIG. 1 is block diagram illustrating a prior art closed captioning arrangement; [0013] FIG. 2 is block diagram illustrating closed captioning apparatus in accordance with the preferred embodiment; [0014] FIGS. 3 and 4 are functional block diagrams respectively illustrating an exemplary instrumented video encoder and an exemplary text recording agent of the closed captioning apparatus of FIG. 2 in accordance with the preferred embodiment; [0015] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for implementing closed captioning in accordance with the preferred embodiment; [0016] FIGS. 6 and 7 are functional block diagrams respectively illustrating an exemplary instrumented video decoder and an exemplary text display agent of the closed captioning apparatus of FIG. 2 in accordance with the preferred embodiment; [0017] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for implementing closed captioning in accordance with the preferred embodiment; and [0018] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a computer program product in accordance with the preferred embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0019] In accordance with features of the preferred embodiment, a unique method is provided for synchronizing video with closed captioned text, that is easy to implement by simple instrumentation of current encoder and decoder technology. Apparatus for implementing methods of the preferred embodiment consists of an encoder and decoder. Continue reading about Method, apparatus and computer program product for synchronizing separate compressed video and text streams to provide closed captioning and instant messaging integration with video conferencing... 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